This invention is a device for the examination and monitoring of vital parameters of the human or animal body, in the form of a compact Diagnostic Device, which may be used single-handedly and within easy reach, without the necessity for cables or tubes.
With already known examination and monitoring equipment, several electrodes are attached to the body to be examined, to measure electrical tension fluctuations of the body. Usually, the number of electrodes is increased proportionally to the number of measuring vectors. With most of the well-known equipment, these electrodes are, connected by means of cables to the amplifier units in order to amplify the signals and connect them to separate analysis equipment. This well-known examination and monitoring equipment is, through the cable connections mentioned above and the separate amplifier units and the analysis equipment and especially through the dimensions of these components, most disadvantageous. Firstly, the cables cause obstruction the person being examined. But above all, the doctors are hindered the most, as the equipment is fixed in its location to each person being examined and can not be readily taken by the doctor and, in a short time, be used for other patients.
A cable-free diagnosis and monitoring unit is known from DE 43 29 898 A1. The electrical cable connection of the electrodes to the analysis station, can be here be omitted, as the electrodes attached to the body being examined are equipped with sender units and aerials, through which they are in wireless contact with the analysis station, which receives the recorded signals. The analysis station also has receptor units and aerials. From this publication, it is known that, positioned in one electrode casing are a number of electrode pins, for the recording of electrical potential fluctuations on various points with different vectors. This diagnosis and monitoring equipment, however still has major disadvantages. It is technically too complicated and too expensive, through the necessary transmitters, receivers, detectors, coding and encoding units and more. The relatively large electrodes, by their design, have to be removable, but permanently fixed to the body, whilst for the examination of different body areas separate electrodes, also with the necessary transmitters and receivers are required. Furthermore, the relatively large analysis station is in a separate room, which is a major disadvantage, especially as it contains the display, data storage and alarm units. It is, therefore not always accessible and viewable by the examining technician and especially by the doctor, as the unit is not transportable. A final, major disadvantage is that only a few examination functions are integrated into the device, in particular, no listening with stethoscope (Auskultation) is possible, nor any percussion, no measuring of oxygen saturation of the blood and of the time taken for recapillarisation.
Also known from DE 40 12 874 C2, is a blood pressure measuring device with long-term ECG measuring units, which can be carried on the body. The part of the equipment necessary for the automatic taking of the blood pressure, including the cuff and pump, as well as the analysis and control switches, are combined in one system. This device is especially laid out for the automatic measurement of long-term ECG and blood pressure, and its main task is to take blood pressure measurements in connection with ECG-fluctuations. Because of the required cuff and pump necessary to operate it, the equipment has to be allocated to a single patient and be worn by him/her. In this device, the electrodes and sensors are connected by means of cables to the long-term ECG measuring equipment.